HLA-DRB1, DQA1 and DQB1 alleles and haplotypes frequencies in Iranian healthy adult responders and non-responders to recombinant hepatitis B vaccine.

BACKGROUND Different studies have demonstrated that a small proportion of healthy individuals receiving the hepatitis B (HB) vaccine do not produce protective levels of anti-HB antibody, a phenomenon which could be linked to certain human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class-II alleles or haplotypes. OBJECTIVES The present study was undertaken to determine the frequency of HLA class-II alleles in Iranian healthy adult responders and non-responders to HB vaccine. METHODS Twelve non-responders (anti-HBs antibody<10 IU/L) and 46 responders (anti-HBs antibody>100 IU/L) were tissue typed for HLA class-II. HLA-DRB1, DQB1 and DQA1 alleles were determined using polymerase chain reaction based on sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP) technique. Accessibility to excess amount of genomic DNA was possible using Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed B-cells established from all vaccinees. RESULTS Our results demonstrated increased frequencies of HLA- DRB107, DRB103, DRB104, DQB10201, DQA10201 alleles and HLA- DRB107/DQB10201/DQA10201 and DRB104/DQB10302/DQA103011 haplotypes in the non-responder group. Comparison between responders and non-responders revealed only a significant difference for DQB10201 allele (p<0.05). CONCLUSION These findings confirm the association of certain HLA alleles and haplotypes with the lack of antibody response to HB vaccine in an Iranian population.